Breaking: British Jews accuse ‘Board of Deputies’ of genocide denial and racism

A coalition of Jewish groups including Jews Against Genocide Denial, Jewish Anti-zionist Action and Jewish Voice for Liberation have released an open letter accusing the Board of Deputies (BOD) of denying the genocide by Israel against the Palestinians.

The follows the ultra-Zionist BOD’s attack on the Green Party and its Jewish leader, Zack Polanski, calling it a racist party for passing a motion declaring Zionism to be a form of racism. In a statement accompanying the letter, the signatories write that the BOD is not only denying, but aiding, Israel’s genocide in Gaza and denounce its attacks on the Green party:

We are Jews who have a range of views on the merits of that motion and include many Jewish members of the Green Party. We all abhor antisemitism and other forms of racism or discrimination. None of us see the motion as racist, antisemitic or feel it a threat to our safety as Jews.

We believe that the Board of Deputies has attacked the Green Party in order to hide its own racism against Palestinians and protect Israel from further censure. Instead of reflecting on its own position and listening to its internal critics it has silenced them. It deploys false accusations of antisemitism against the Green Party and anyone else who documents and publicises Israel’s war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. Allegations of institutional antisemitism against the Green Party are false, use antisemitism as a political weapon, and are therefore an abuse of Jews.

The Green Party motion had defined Zionism in the dominant form it has taken over the last one hundred years leading up to the creation of an ethnically cleansed, apartheid state and culminating in the genocide of the Palestinians to which we have borne daily witness on our phones, computers and televisions. It represents the perspective of Palestinians within the Green Party.

Genocide denial is part of genocide, sometimes called its final phase. The denial of the World War II Holocaust, abuses Jews and all its other victims. Denial of the genocide in Palestine abuses Palestinians and supports Israel’s war crimes.

We call on the Board of Deputies to stop aiding genocide. When we recognise that genocide is happening to anyone, anywhere, we Jews must know our duty is to condemn it and act against it.

The BOD is treated by UK ‘mainstream’ media as a valid and dispassionate spokesgroup for the views of British Jews, despite saying that it exists to “advance Israel’s security, welfare and standing”. The full letter and signatory list are below:

TO THE BOARD OF DEPUTIES OF BRITISH JEWS

We Jews assert that the Green Party is not racist for passing a motion linking Zionism and racism. We accuse the Board of Deputies of genocide denial. We urge it to desist.

We Jews, including many Jewish members of the Green Party, are writing to condemn your motion calling the Green Party racist. We abhor all antisemitism, all racism, all discrimination. We are all in agreement that the Green Party is an anti-racist Party, and its motion, Zionism is Racism, is not antisemitic. None of us find it a threat to ourselves, as Jews. Some Jewish Greens supported it, some opposed it, some thought it unnecessary, given the party’s already strong stance against Israel’s oppressive regime and war crimes. You are seizing an opportunity to join with others opposed to the motion to attack the Green Party and its Jewish leader Zack Polanski because of the Party’s firm stance against Israel’s genocide. Zack Polanski is supported by the vast majority of Jewish Greens. Your allegations of institutional antisemitism against the Green Party are false, use antisemitism as a political weapon, and are therefore an abuse of Jews.

The Green Party motion was born out of Palestinian horror at the genocide. Its main proposer has lost 56 members of her wider family in Gaza. Yet your lengthy motion fails to mention genocide or any of the other institutional trappings of racism within Israel. Your motion is a device to hide your own racism and Israel’s institutional racism, reflected in a discriminatory legal system, apartheid, ethnic cleansing and genocide.

You had tried to discredit the evidence of Israel’s apartheid. You know that Israel was a close ally of apartheid South Africa. Its apartheid was named by the towering figure of Archbishop Desmond Tutu. You ignored the 2021 report from B’Tselem, an Israeli human rights organisation, which characterised the apartheid of the Israeli administration: “a regime of Jewish supremacy from the river to the sea”. You rubbished the conclusions of reports on Israel’s apartheid from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. We Jews should be wary of condemning and ridiculing human rights organisations, given their emergence after the horrors of the second world war. We need their protection, too.

You had welcomed the government’s claim that Israel’s actions in Gaza “cannot be described as a genocide”. Channel 4 Dispatches showed that the UK government has hidden its own complicity by manipulating the advice it receives. Yet even the limited recognition by the International Court of Justice in 2024, of a “plausible genocide” carries duties of genocide prevention under international law. You must know that the genocide has since been confirmed by the overwhelming majority of genocide scholars, human rights organisations and the United Nations.

You complained about the government’s token reduction of arms licenses to supply the Israeli military. You showed your opposition to international law, again, when your president urged Ed Miliband to avoid banning trade in goods and services with illegal West Bank settlements. You have cheered the banning of Palestine action, who try to prevent genocide by stopping the manufacture of weapons for Israel. You support the campaign by your close allies in the Community Security Trust and Jewish Leadership Council for the proscription not to be overturned by the Supreme Court.

You subject to sanctions any criticism of Israel within your ranks. A petition was started against previous vice-president, Sheila Gewolb accusing her of breaching the IHRA definition of antisemitism, for criticising the Israeli Nation State Law. Former president, Marie van der Zyl, blocked an internal survey of opinion on Israel amongst deputies in order, it seems, to obscure the variety of opinion within the organisation. When 36 deputies mourned the massive loss of Palestinian life and condemned Israel for breaking a ceasefire rather than saving hostages, you responded with reprimand, suspension and accusations of disloyalty. They said:

“The inclination to avert our eyes is strong as what is happening is unbearable. But our Jewish values compel us to stand up and to speak out.”

You should have acted on their words. Instead, you silenced them.

You are genocide deniers. Genocide denial is part of genocide. It makes you complicit. The denial of the World War II holocaust, abuses Jews and all its other victims. Denial of the genocide in Palestine abuses Palestinians and supports Israel’s war crimes.

For the last two years, a group of Jews, young and old, observant and secular, have fasted for Gaza on Yom Kippur outside the Houses of Parliament. You were called on there, to desist from genocide denial. We ask you to face the reality that the dominant ideology of Zionism, over more than a hundred years, has fed Israel’s racism, ethnic cleansing, war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. We demand that you stop weaponizing antisemitism to hide these crimes. When we recognise that genocide is happening to anyone, anywhere, we Jews know our duty is to condemn it and act against it.

We will always remain open for dialogue.

Yours sincerely,

Erika Adler Marion Adler Ethan Almond Scilla Alvarado Euphrosyne Andrews Ruth Appleton Yael Arbell Chaim Babad Daphna Baram Sue Bard Judith Baron Moshe Behar Yoav Beirach Netanel Ben Yarden Ofra Ben Porat Ram Alan Bernstein Carla Bloom Emanuel Bloom Louise Bloom Peter Bolwell Alice Bondi Hannah Booth Katie Booth Hagit Borer Rachel Boyd Philipa Bragman Haim Bresheeth-Zabner Tana Bronstein Benjamin Brown Maya Brown Erica Burman John Cagan Ariel Caine Eve Cina Judith Clark Aaron Clarke Katie Clarke Rosalind Clay Annabel Gottfried Cohen Ron Cohen Simon Cohen Sylvia Cohen Zoe Cohen Katy Colley Rebecca Collier Esther Crasnow-Dodd Noah Crasnow-Dodd Mandy Croft Hannah Cross Mike Cushman Sima Cutting Georgina Daniels Professor Miriam E. David Felicity De Motta Alan Joseph Deadman Peter Deadman Mary Deigan Rob Denison Merav Devere Angela Dindale Elliot Doom Pippa Dowswell Pamela Dub Sally Rebecca Eason Mark Elf Kip Erev Judith Favish Andrew Feinstein Jonathan Feldman Shelley Feldman Maia Filler Mark Findlay Deborah Fink Martin Fisher Sylvia Finzi Torr Fischman Jonathan Fluxman Peter Frankental Nicky Freeling David Fried Kathy Fried Klaus Fried Beth Frieden Debbie Friedman Ruth Friedman Kenny Fryde Jonathan Galton Ophira Gamliel Ruth Garde Carrie Gaye Margaret Gelb Victor Gelb Carolyn Gelenter Ray Gergen Zohar Dina Glouberman Judith Glynn Dr David Goldberg Simon Goodman Stuart Goodman Joshua Gottlieb Mel Gould Nick Greenberg Sandra Greenberg Tony Greenstein Joshua Greig Ruth Grimberg Helen Grisdale Cameron Haberberg Yohai Hakak Sara Hall Alison Harris Robert Harris Scarlet Harris Summer Hemmings Joel Hirsch Miriam Hoffman Jessica Howard Carol Hudson Adam Hurst Jeremy Isaacs Lin James Zeben Jameson Diana Jerome Ahuvia Kahane Lola Karpf Jenny Kassman Ellie Kavner John Keidan Alison Kerr Angie Kotler Ann Kramer Judith Kramer Debbie Krantz Sarà Krish Richard Kuper Felix Lane Ruth Lass Felicity Laurence Michelle Laufer Mike Layward Joanna Leigh Talóra Leigh Judith Lesser Cravitz Leah Levane Anna Liddle Sonja Linden George Lissauer Adrian Litvinoff Robert Lizar Dave Lukes Leon Lukes Peter Lukes Nina Lyndon Barbara Macintosh Tal Machover Camile Mair-Behar Marji Manield Jenny Manson Helen Marks Stuart Markless Helen Martins Daniel Maxwell Jessica McDonald Naomi McDonald Ruth McGrath Leora McNamara Heather Mendick Torin Menzies Tamara Micner Angie Mindel Sara Mokone Felix Moore Rosie Morland Shosh Morris Rebecca Moss Idit Nathan Mica Nava Yael Navaro Marc Neal Arthur Neslen Diana Neslen Diana Neslen Esther Neslen Margaret Owen O.B.E Sam Oliver Craig Parr Susan Pashkoff Peter Perrett Charlie Phillips David Phillips Anna Sophie Plaker Corinna Powis Charlotte Prager Williams Dr Penny Rabiger Caroline Raine Roland Rance Robert Reiner Robert Reiner Valerie Remy Charlotte Reynolds Charlotte Reynolds Raffaella Risi Bindman Angie Roberts Marion Roberts Ben Rogaly Chris Romberg Jonathan Rosenhead Robert Rosenthal Carolyn Roth John Rubinstein Ben Samuel Marsha Sanders Ian Saville Dada Schling Karel Michael Schling Mike Scott Beau Sebastian Glyn Secker Irene Sedler Marian Sedley Ori Selkirk Cath Senker Meir Shabat Nick Sherwood Avi Shlaim Liz Silver Noah Simon Sue Simmonds Ludi Simpson Erica Smith Rachel Solnick Donatella Soldi Elena Solomon Leni Solinger Bernard Spiegal Charlotte Stein Emilia Steuerman Helen Stollar Adam Stock Tamar Szmuilowicz Emma Tait Inbar Tamari Ash Taylor Anthony Traub Benjamin Treuhaft Michel Trainer Sam Troiani Abi Tucker Eva Turner Shereen Usdin Clara Usiskin Tessa van Gelderen Carole Vincent Bob Walker Nicholas Weaver Sally Webber Janet Weitz Anthony Whiteson Susan Whiteson George Wilmers Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi Professor Emeritus Richard Wistreich Talia Woodin

Image header: Alisdare Hickson, Creative Commons